US20170035265A1 - Diverter valve and dishwasher with diverter valve - Google Patents
Diverter valve and dishwasher with diverter valve Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20170035265A1 US20170035265A1 US14/818,667 US201514818667A US2017035265A1 US 20170035265 A1 US20170035265 A1 US 20170035265A1 US 201514818667 A US201514818667 A US 201514818667A US 2017035265 A1 US2017035265 A1 US 2017035265A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- plenum
- membrane strip
- dishwasher
- liquid
- diverter valve
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L15/00—Washing or rinsing machines for crockery or tableware
- A47L15/42—Details
- A47L15/4214—Water supply, recirculation or discharge arrangements; Devices therefor
- A47L15/4217—Fittings for water supply, e.g. valves or plumbing means to connect to cold or warm water lines, aquastops
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L15/00—Washing or rinsing machines for crockery or tableware
- A47L15/42—Details
- A47L15/4214—Water supply, recirculation or discharge arrangements; Devices therefor
- A47L15/4219—Water recirculation
- A47L15/4221—Arrangements for redirection of washing water, e.g. water diverters to selectively supply the spray arms
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L15/00—Washing or rinsing machines for crockery or tableware
- A47L15/42—Details
- A47L15/4278—Nozzles
- A47L15/4282—Arrangements to change or modify spray pattern or direction
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16K—VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING
- F16K11/00—Multiple-way valves, e.g. mixing valves; Pipe fittings incorporating such valves
- F16K11/02—Multiple-way valves, e.g. mixing valves; Pipe fittings incorporating such valves with all movable sealing faces moving as one unit
- F16K11/06—Multiple-way valves, e.g. mixing valves; Pipe fittings incorporating such valves with all movable sealing faces moving as one unit comprising only sliding valves, i.e. sliding closure elements
- F16K11/065—Multiple-way valves, e.g. mixing valves; Pipe fittings incorporating such valves with all movable sealing faces moving as one unit comprising only sliding valves, i.e. sliding closure elements with linearly sliding closure members
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16K—VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING
- F16K11/00—Multiple-way valves, e.g. mixing valves; Pipe fittings incorporating such valves
- F16K11/02—Multiple-way valves, e.g. mixing valves; Pipe fittings incorporating such valves with all movable sealing faces moving as one unit
- F16K11/06—Multiple-way valves, e.g. mixing valves; Pipe fittings incorporating such valves with all movable sealing faces moving as one unit comprising only sliding valves, i.e. sliding closure elements
- F16K11/065—Multiple-way valves, e.g. mixing valves; Pipe fittings incorporating such valves with all movable sealing faces moving as one unit comprising only sliding valves, i.e. sliding closure elements with linearly sliding closure members
- F16K11/0655—Multiple-way valves, e.g. mixing valves; Pipe fittings incorporating such valves with all movable sealing faces moving as one unit comprising only sliding valves, i.e. sliding closure elements with linearly sliding closure members with flat slides
Definitions
- Contemporary automatic dishwashers for use in a typical household include a tub and at least one rack or basket for supporting soiled dishes within the tub.
- a spraying system can be provided for recirculating liquid throughout the tub to remove soils from the dishes.
- the spraying system can include various sprayers including a rotatable sprayer.
- a diverter valve in the form of a rotary disk is used to selectively supply liquid from a recirculation pump to the various sprayers.
- an embodiment of the invention relates to a dishwasher for treating dishes according to an automatic cycle of operation, including a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber, at least one sprayer configured to emit a corresponding spray of liquid into the treating chamber, at least one liquid circuit supplying liquid to the at least one sprayer, a pump having a pump inlet fluidly coupled to the treating chamber and a pump outlet, and a diverter valve having a plenum with a plenum inlet coupled to the pump outlet, at least one plenum outlet fluidly coupled to the at least one liquid circuit, and a membrane strip located within the plenum and having at least one control opening, wherein the membrane strip is movable in the plenum for movement along a path overlying the at least one plenum outlet such that the membrane strip can be selectively moved so as to selectively align the control opening with the at least one plenum outlet to selectively enable liquid flow from the plenum inlet through the at least one plenum outlet to control a flow of liquid from the pump to the at
- an embodiment of the invention relates to a diverter valve including a housing defining a plenum with a plenum inlet, at least one plenum outlet and a membrane strip located within the plenum and having at least one control opening and a drive operably coupled to the membrane strip to move the membrane strip within the plenum along a path overlying the at least one plenum outlet such that the membrane strip can be selectively moved so as to selectively align the control opening with the at least one plenum outlet to selectively enable liquid flow from the plenum inlet through the at least one plenum outlet to control a flow of liquid through the housing.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dishwasher with a diverter valve according to an embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 2 is a partial schematic cross-sectional view of the dishwasher shown in FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a control system of the dishwasher of FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an exemplary diverter valve that can be utilized in the dishwasher of FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 5 is an alternative perspective view of the exemplary diverter valve of FIG. 4 .
- FIG. 6 is a bottom perspective view of the exemplary diverter valve of FIG. 4 with a portion of the housing removed for clarity.
- FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the exemplary diverter valve with the valve body moved to fluidly couple an alternative plenum outlet.
- FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a plenum outlet that can be utilized in the exemplary diverter valve of FIG. 4 .
- an automatic dishwasher 10 having a cabinet 12 defining an interior is illustrated.
- the cabinet 12 can be a chassis/frame with or without panels attached, respectively.
- the dishwasher 10 shares many features of a conventional automatic dishwasher, which will not be described in detail herein except as necessary for a complete understanding of the invention. While the present invention is described in terms of a conventional dishwashing unit, it could also be implemented in other types of dishwashing units, such as in-sink dishwashers, multi-tub dishwashers, or drawer-type dishwashers.
- the cabinet 12 encloses a tub 14 at least partially defining a treating chamber 16 for holding dishes for washing according to a cycle of operation and defining an access opening 17 .
- the tub 14 has spaced top and bottom walls 18 and 20 , spaced sidewalls 22 , a front wall 24 , and a rear wall 26 .
- the walls 18 , 20 , 22 , 24 , and 26 collectively define the treating chamber 16 for treating or washing dishes.
- the bottom wall 20 may have a front lip 28 ( FIG. 2 ) with an upper portion 30 that may define a portion of the access opening 17 .
- the front wall 24 may be at least partially defined by a door 32 of the dishwasher 10 , which may be pivotally attached to the dishwasher 10 for providing accessibility to the treating chamber 16 through the access opening 17 for loading and unloading dishes or other washable items. More specifically, the door 32 may be configured to selectively open and close the access opening 17 . Dish holders in the form of upper and lower dish racks 34 , 36 are located within the treating chamber 16 and receive dishes for washing. The upper and lower racks 34 , 36 may be mounted for slidable movement in and out of the treating chamber 16 for ease of loading and unloading.
- the term “dish(es)” is intended to be generic to any item, single or plural, that may be treated in the dishwasher 10 , including, without limitation; utensils, plates, pots, bowls, pans, glassware, and silverware. While not shown, additional utensil holders, such as a silverware basket on the interior of the door 32 or on a sidewall 22 , can also be provided.
- a liquid recirculation system 38 is provided for spraying liquid within the treating chamber 16 to treat any dishes located therein.
- the liquid recirculation system 38 may include one or more sprayers configured to emit a corresponding spray of liquid into the treating chamber 16 .
- the first lower spray assembly 40 is positioned above the bottom wall 20 and beneath the lower dish rack 36 .
- the first lower spray assembly 40 is an arm configured to rotate in the wash tub 14 and spray a flow of liquid from a plurality of spray nozzles or outlets, in a primarily upward direction, over a portion of the interior of the wash tub 14 .
- a first wash zone may be defined by the spray field emitted by the first lower spray assembly 40 into the treating chamber 16 .
- the spray from the first lower spray assembly 40 is sprayed into the wash tub 14 in typically upward fashion to wash dishes located in the lower dish rack 36 .
- the first lower spray assembly 40 may optionally also provide a liquid spray downwardly onto a lower portion of the treating chamber 16 , but for purposes of simplification, this will not be illustrated or described herein.
- the second lower spray assembly 42 is illustrated as being located adjacent the lower rack 36 toward the rear of the treating chamber 16 .
- the second lower spray assembly 42 is illustrated as including a horizontally oriented distribution header or spray manifold having a plurality of nozzles.
- the second lower spray assembly 42 may not be limited to this position; rather, the second lower spray assembly 42 could be located in virtually any part of the treating chamber 16 .
- the second lower spray assembly 42 could be positioned underneath the lower rack 36 , adjacent or beneath the first lower spray assembly 40 .
- Such a spray manifold is set forth in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 7,594,513, issued Sep. 29, 2009, and titled “Multiple Wash Zone Dishwasher,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
- the second lower spray assembly 42 may be configured to spray a flow of treating liquid in a generally lateral direction, over a portion of the interior of the treating chamber 16 .
- the spray may be typically directed to treat dishes located in the lower rack 36 .
- a second wash zone may be defined by the spray field emitted by the second lower spray assembly 42 into the treating chamber 16 .
- the third lower spray assembly 44 can be similar to the second lower spray assembly 42 and has been illustrated as being located on a sidewall 22 .
- the third lower spray assembly can be configured to spray a flow of treating liquid in an angled direction, over a portion of the interior of the treating chamber 16 including a portion of the lower rack 36 .
- the third lower spray assembly can be located in virtually any part of the treating chamber, can be shaped in any suitable manner, and its spray may be directed in any suitable direction.
- the first mid-level spray assembly 46 has been illustrated similarly to the third lower spray assembly 44 ; however, it has been illustrated as being higher on the sidewall 22 such that it can emit a spray of liquid onto the upper dish rack 34 .
- the first mid-level spray assembly 46 can be located in virtually any part of the treating chamber, can be shaped in any suitable manner, and its spray may be directed in any suitable direction.
- the second mid-level spray arm assembly 48 is positioned between the upper dish rack 34 and the lower dish rack 36 .
- the mid-level spray assembly 48 may also be configured to rotate in the dishwasher 10 and spray a flow of liquid in a generally upward direction, over a portion of the interior of the wash tub 14 .
- the spray from the second mid-level spray arm assembly 48 is directed to dishes in the upper dish rack 34 to define a third spray zone.
- the upper spray arm assembly 50 is positioned above the upper dish rack 34 and generally directs a spray of liquid in a generally downward direction to define a fourth spray zone that helps wash dishes on both upper and lower dish racks 34 , 36 .
- a sump 52 and pump assembly 53 can be included in the liquid recirculation system 38 .
- the sump 52 collects the liquid sprayed in the treating chamber 16 and can be formed by a sloped or recessed portion of a bottom wall 20 of the tub 14 .
- the pump assembly 53 can include both a wash or recirculation pump 54 and a drain pump 56 .
- the drain pump 56 can draw liquid from the sump 52 through a drain inlet 55 and pump the liquid out of the dishwasher 10 to a household drain line 57 .
- the recirculation pump 54 can draw liquid from the sump 52 and pump the liquid to the one or more of the spray assemblies 40 - 50 to supply liquid into the treating chamber 16 .
- the pump assembly 53 can include a single pump configured to selectively supply wash liquid to either the spray assemblies 40 - 50 or the drain line 57 , such as by configuring the pump to rotate in opposite directions, or by providing a suitable valve system.
- a liquid supply system can include a water supply conduit coupled with a household water supply for supplying water to the sump 52 .
- the recirculation pump 54 has a pump inlet 58 fluidly coupled to the treating chamber 16 via the sump 52 and a pump outlet 60 in fluid communication with a diverter valve 62 .
- a number of liquid conduits 64 , 66 , 68 , 70 , 72 , and 74 in turn fluidly couple the diverter valve 62 to the spray assemblies 40 - 50 , respectively.
- the pump outlet 60 is fluidly coupled to the spray assemblies 40 - 50 for discharging wash liquid from the recirculation pump 54 to the spray assemblies 40 - 50 .
- liquid can be supplied to the spray assemblies 42 - 50 through liquid conduits 66 , 68 , 70 , 72 , and 74 that extend generally rearward from the recirculation pump 54 and upwardly along a rear wall of the tub 14 .
- Liquid can be supplied to the spray assembly 40 through the liquid conduit 64 .
- the diverter valve 62 can control the flow of liquid within the dishwasher 10 . While the diverter valve 62 has been illustrated as being located in the middle of the tub 14 it will be understood that the diverter valve 62 can be located in any suitable location. By way of further non-limiting example, the diverter valve 62 as described herein has a low profile, which allows for it to be located at the rear of the tub 14 .
- Liquid may be selectively supplied to a subset of all of the sprayers, including to only a singer sprayer, and/or simultaneously to all of the sprayers.
- the sump 52 , recirculation pump 54 , spray assemblies 40 - 50 , and liquid conduits 64 - 74 collectively form a recirculation flow path in the liquid recirculation system 38 . It will be understood that the recirculation flow path includes multiple recirculation circuits, with each circuit coupled to at least one of the sprayers forming the spray assemblies 40 - 50 .
- the recirculation pump 54 may be fluidly coupled to one or more of the circuits such that it draws liquid in through the pump inlet 58 and sump 52 and delivers it to one or more of the spray assemblies 40 - 50 through the liquid conduits 64 - 74 depending on the operation of the diverter valve 62 .
- the liquid is sprayed back into the treating chamber 16 through the spray assemblies 40 - 50 and drains back to the sump 52 where the process may be repeated.
- a heating system having a heater 78 can be located within or near the sump 52 for heating liquid contained in the sump 52 .
- a filtering system (not shown) can be fluidly coupled with the recirculation flow path for filtering the recirculated liquid.
- a control panel or user interface 80 provided on the dishwasher 10 and coupled to a controller 82 may be used to select a cycle of operation.
- the user interface 80 may be provided on the cabinet 12 or on the outer panel of the door 32 and can include operational controls such as dials, lights, switches, and displays enabling a user to input commands to the controller 82 and receive information about the selected cycle of operation.
- the dishwasher 10 may further include other conventional components such as additional valves, a dispensing system for dispensing treating chemistries or rinse aids, spray arms or nozzles, etc.; however, these components are not germane to the present invention and will not be described further herein.
- the controller 82 may be provided with a memory 84 and a central processing unit (CPU) 86 .
- the memory 84 may be used for storing control software that may be executed by the CPU 86 in completing a cycle of operation using the dishwasher 10 and any additional software.
- the memory 84 may store one or more pre-programmed cycles of operation that may be selected by a user and completed by the dishwasher 10 .
- the controller 82 may be operably coupled with one or more components of the dishwasher 10 for communicating with and controlling the operation of the components to complete a cycle of operation.
- the controller 82 may be coupled with the recirculation pump 54 and the diverter valve 62 for circulation of liquid in the wash tub 14 and the drain pump 56 for drainage of liquid in the wash tub 14 . Further, the controller 82 may also be coupled with one or more temperature sensors 88 , which are known in the art and not shown for simplicity, such that the controller 82 may control the duration of the steps of the cycle of operation based upon the temperature detected. The controller 82 may also receive inputs from one or more other optional sensor, which are known in the art and not shown for simplicity. The controller 82 may also be coupled to a dispenser 90 , which may dispense a detergent during the wash step of the cycle of operation or a rinse aid during the rinse step of the cycle of operation.
- FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a diverter valve 62 having a housing 100 defining a plenum 101 and having a plenum inlet 102 and a plurality of plenum outputs 104 .
- the plenum inlet 102 can be fluidly coupled to the pump outlet 60 of the recirculation pump 54 , which has been schematically illustrated as an arrow 60 .
- Each of the plenum outlets 104 fluidly couples to the liquid conduits 64 , 66 , 68 , 70 , 72 , and 74 , which have been schematically illustrated as arrows. While the liquid conduit 64 has been illustrated on one side of the housing 100 and the other liquid conduits 66 - 74 have been illustrated on another side as better illustrated in FIG.
- the housing 100 , plenum inlet 102 , and plenum outlets 104 can be arranged in any suitable manner. It is contemplated that the number of plenum outlets 104 can correspond to the number of spray assemblies 40 - 50 . Alternatively, the plenum outlet(s) 104 can be fluidly coupled to a liquid circuit that can lead to more than one spray assembly and has additional conduits and valving to control the flow thereto.
- a valve body in the form of a membrane strip 110 can be located within the plenum 101 and have at least one control opening 112 .
- the membrane strip 110 can abut portions of the housing 100 to form a liquid seal between the plenum outlets 104 and the remainder of the plenum 101 . More specifically, the membrane strip 110 can abut an interior surface 114 ( FIG. 7 ) of the housing 100 .
- the membrane strip 110 is movable in the plenum 101 for movement along a path overlying the plurality of plenum outlets 104 such that the membrane strip 110 can be operable to selectively fluidly couple one of the plurality of plenum outlets 104 to a remainder of the plenum 101 and liquid therein.
- Movement of the membrane strip 110 can align the control opening 112 with one of the plenum outlets 104 while blocking at least another of the plenum outlets 104 .
- the membrane strip 110 can be moveable to any number of positions such that different plenum outlets 104 can be fluidly coupled to the plenum 101 . In this way, the different spray assemblies 40 - 50 may be selected to be fluidly coupled to the recirculation pump 54 with the movement of the membrane strip 110 .
- a spool 120 is illustrated in FIG. 6 and can be configured to hold the membrane strip 110 in place and aid in driving the membrane strip 110 .
- the membrane strip 110 can be a segment that is wound or unwound about the spool 120 during movement of the membrane strip 110 .
- the segment of the membrane strip 110 can be wound or unwound as needed such that movement of the membrane strip 110 aligns one or more control openings 112 with select plenum outlets 104 .
- the membrane strip 110 includes a looped membrane strip formed from a continuous band.
- the membrane strip 110 runs along the plenum outlets 104 and is held in place by a set of spools 120 , 140 .
- the spools 120 , 140 are spaced apart from each other and the plenum outlets 104 lie between the two spools 120 , 140 .
- the continuous membrane strip 110 can have opposing ends 136 , 138 with each end 136 , 138 supported about a corresponding spool 120 , 140 , respectively.
- the membrane strip 110 can be moveable utilizing any suitable driver or actuator.
- one of the two spools 120 , 140 can be driven externally to provide the rotation of the membrane strip 110 .
- a drive including, but not limited to, a drive motor 130 can be operably coupled to the membrane strip 110 to move the membrane strip 110 within the plenum 101 .
- the drive motor 130 has been illustrated as including an output shaft 132 that is operably coupled to the spool 120 to provide a driving force that turns the membrane strip 110 . It is contemplated that the drive motor 130 can be a reversible drive motor and can be operably coupled to the controller 82 or another suitable controller.
- the controller 82 can control the operation of the drive motor 130 such that the membrane strip 110 can be driven in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction. In this manner the motor 130 can move the membrane strip 110 between any number of positions to fluidly couple any of the plenum outlets 104 .
- a sensor (not shown) can be included in the dishwasher 10 including, but not limited to, that the sensor can be coupled with the diverter valve 62 to determine what plenum outlet 104 is fluidly coupled to the recirculation pump 54 .
- the controller 82 can utilize the output from the sensor to determine the position of the control opening 112 and can control the movement of the membrane strip 110 based thereon.
- the friction between the spool 120 and the membrane strip 110 may not be substantial enough to ensure rotation of the membrane strip 110 .
- a sprocket 122 having teeth 124 can be included on the spool 120 .
- the membrane strip 110 includes holes 126 that mesh with the teeth 124 of the sprocket 122 and the contact between the teeth 124 and the holes 126 aids in driving the membrane strip 110 .
- An optional gear train 134 has been illustrated as operably coupling the output shaft 132 to the spool 120 such that rotation of the output shaft 132 moves the gear train 134 , which in turn rotates the spool and moves the membrane strip 110 to any number of positions.
- the gear train 134 can be formed in any suitable manner including, but not limited to, that the gear train 134 can be a speed increasing gear train where the sprocket 122 is driven faster than the rotation of the shaft 132 .
- the gear ratios of the gear train 134 can be selected in any suitable manner to control the movement of the membrane strip 110 based on the rotation of the shaft 132 .
- the membrane strip 110 has a control opening 112 in it that is aligned such that one of the bank of plenum outlets 104 is fluidly coupled at a time, such that liquid is provided to one of the spray assemblies 40 - 50 at a time.
- additional multiple control openings 112 Illustrated in phantom are additional multiple control openings 112 .
- the use of additional multiple control openings 112 including control openings 112 spaced closely together can allow multiple spray assemblies 40 - 50 to be fluidly coupled to the recirculation pump 54 simultaneously.
- the use of multiple control openings 112 can be utilized to vary the sequencing of the fluidly coupled spray assemblies 40 - 50 depending on the location of the control openings 112 and the plenum outlets 104 in the housing 100 .
- the membrane strip 110 can include various sets of control openings 112 and the various sets of control openings 112 can define different liquid diversion or spray configurations or can be utilized for the same diversion configurations but allow for them to cycle through the path more frequently.
- the membrane strip 110 can have different sets of openings for different functionalities or different phases of the wash cycle.
- a different set of control openings 112 could be provided for each selectable wash cycle, phase, or option.
- a set of control openings 112 that are only supplied to the upper rack sprayers can be included for when a user selects an option to only wash in the upper rack 34 . In this manner, a user can pick a zone or rack for washing and only those zones or rack would be sprayed.
- the second lower spray assembly 42 could be solely supplied to clean the dishes in the lower rack 36 .
- FIG. 8 illustrates that an optional sealing ring 150 can be provided along the interior surface 114 of the housing 100 , with the sealing ring 150 surrounding the plenum outlet 104 .
- a sealing ring 150 can be provided around each of the plenum outlets 104 .
- the sealing ring 150 can be a raised ring surrounding the plenum outlet 104 and can take any suitable form including that of an O-ring or other seal. Further, the sealing ring 150 can merely be a rib formed on an interior surface 114 of the housing 100 . In essence, the sealing ring 150 forms a peripheral ridge, which spaces the membrane strip 110 from a remainder of the interior surface 114 to reduce friction.
- the membrane strip 110 can be capable of sealing against the interior surface 114 of the housing 100 and/or the sealing ring(s) 150 to better seal the plenum outlets 104 against the unintended flow of liquid from the remainder of the plenum 101 .
- the plenum outlets 104 can be sealed such that liquid does not leak from the plenum 101 to the plenum outlets 104 that are not intentionally being fluidly coupled with the plenum 101 .
- Sealing challenges can occur for various reasons including because the surface forming the interior surface 114 of the housing 100 is too rough or uneven.
- the sealing ring(s) 150 provide a smaller sealing surface for the membrane strip 110 allowing a greater force to be applied to those points, which allows for a better seal.
- the membrane strip 110 can be formed from any suitable material including, but not limited to, a mylar membrane. It is contemplated that the membrane strip 110 can be flexible and such flex can allow the membrane strip 110 to form around the sealing ring 150 and provide a robust seal.
- Such a sealing ring 150 can also allow the control opening 112 to fluidly couple with the plenum outlet 104 so long as the control opening 112 is at least partially within the sealing ring 150 . In this manner, the sealing ring 150 creates a larger effective outlet and allows for a longer fluid communication between the plenum outlet 104 having the sealing ring 150 and the control opening 112 in the membrane strip 110 .
- Such sealing rings are set forth in detail in application Ser. No. 13/570,511, filed Aug. 9, 2012, and titled “Dishwasher with Spray System,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
- the operation of the dishwasher 10 with the diverter valve 62 as illustrated will now be described.
- the user will initially select a cycle of operation via the user interface 80 , with the cycle of operation being implemented by the controller 82 controlling various components of the dishwasher 10 to implement the selected cycle of operation in the treating chamber 16 .
- cycles of operation include normal, light/china, heavy/pots and pans, and rinse only.
- the cycles of operation can include one or more of the following phases: a wash phase, a rinse phase, and a drying phase.
- the wash phase can further include a pre-wash phase and a main wash phase.
- the rinse phase can also include multiple phases such as one or more additional rinsing phases performed in addition to a first rinsing.
- wash fluid such as water and/or treating chemistry (i.e., water and/or detergents, enzymes, surfactants, and other cleaning or conditioning chemistry) passes from the recirculation pump 54 into the liquid recirculation system 38 and then exits through the spray assemblies 40 - 50 .
- treating chemistry i.e., water and/or detergents, enzymes, surfactants, and other cleaning or conditioning chemistry
- the recirculation pump 54 can be operated to recirculate liquid to one or more of the spray assemblies 40 - 50 .
- the membrane strip 110 can be selectively moved so as to selectively align the control opening(s) 112 with one or more of plenum outlets 104 to selectively enable liquid flow from the plenum 101 through the one or more plenum outlets 104 to control a flow of liquid from the recirculation pump 54 to the one of the spray assemblies 40 - 50 .
- FIG. 6 illustrates the membrane strip 110 having the control opening 112 in a position where the recirculation pump 54 via the diverter valve 62 is fluidly coupled with a plenum outlet 104 , which leads to the liquid conduit 64 .
- a flow of fluid is schematically illustrated with arrows 142 . Fluid enters the plenum inlet 102 from the pump outlet 60 and flows into the plenum 101 . The fluid then flows through the control opening 112 and out the plenum outlet 104 . In this manner, the output from the recirculation pump 54 is fluidly coupled to the first lower spray assembly 40 via the diverter valve 62 .
- FIG. 7 illustrates the control opening 112 moved to fluidly couple with an alternative plenum outlet 104 . More specifically, the control opening 112 is illustrated as fluidly coupling to the plenum outlet 104 that is fluidly coupled with the liquid conduit 66 . A flow of fluid is schematically illustrated with arrows 148 . Fluid enters the plenum inlet 102 from the pump outlet 60 and flows into the plenum 101 . The fluid then flows through the control opening 112 and out the plenum outlet 104 . In this manner, the output from the recirculation pump 54 is fluidly coupled to the second lower spray assembly 42 via the diverter valve 62 .
- a diverter valve can be utilized to fluidly couple a pump outlet to any number of spray assemblies while fluidly sealing off other spray assemblies.
- the above-described embodiments are easy to control, allow for a large number of fluidly couplings, properly seal off other outlets, and have less flow restrictions and bends.
- the above-described diverter valve embodiments also utilize space efficiently and are low profile and thus can be placed in various places including at the back of the tub, which can eliminate multiple elbows the fluid must pass through and significantly decreases head.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Water Supply & Treatment (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Washing And Drying Of Tableware (AREA)
Abstract
A dishwasher for treating dishes according to an automatic cycle of operation and including a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber, at least one sprayer configured to emit a corresponding spray of liquid into the treating chamber, at least one liquid circuit supplying liquid to the at least one sprayer, a pump having a pump inlet fluidly coupled to the treating chamber and a pump outlet, and a diverter valve controlling a flow of liquid from the pump to the at least one sprayer.
Description
- Contemporary automatic dishwashers for use in a typical household include a tub and at least one rack or basket for supporting soiled dishes within the tub. A spraying system can be provided for recirculating liquid throughout the tub to remove soils from the dishes. The spraying system can include various sprayers including a rotatable sprayer. A diverter valve in the form of a rotary disk is used to selectively supply liquid from a recirculation pump to the various sprayers.
- In one aspect, an embodiment of the invention relates to a dishwasher for treating dishes according to an automatic cycle of operation, including a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber, at least one sprayer configured to emit a corresponding spray of liquid into the treating chamber, at least one liquid circuit supplying liquid to the at least one sprayer, a pump having a pump inlet fluidly coupled to the treating chamber and a pump outlet, and a diverter valve having a plenum with a plenum inlet coupled to the pump outlet, at least one plenum outlet fluidly coupled to the at least one liquid circuit, and a membrane strip located within the plenum and having at least one control opening, wherein the membrane strip is movable in the plenum for movement along a path overlying the at least one plenum outlet such that the membrane strip can be selectively moved so as to selectively align the control opening with the at least one plenum outlet to selectively enable liquid flow from the plenum inlet through the at least one plenum outlet to control a flow of liquid from the pump to the at least one sprayer.
- In another aspect an embodiment of the invention relates to a diverter valve including a housing defining a plenum with a plenum inlet, at least one plenum outlet and a membrane strip located within the plenum and having at least one control opening and a drive operably coupled to the membrane strip to move the membrane strip within the plenum along a path overlying the at least one plenum outlet such that the membrane strip can be selectively moved so as to selectively align the control opening with the at least one plenum outlet to selectively enable liquid flow from the plenum inlet through the at least one plenum outlet to control a flow of liquid through the housing.
- In the drawings:
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dishwasher with a diverter valve according to an embodiment of the invention. -
FIG. 2 is a partial schematic cross-sectional view of the dishwasher shown inFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a control system of the dishwasher ofFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an exemplary diverter valve that can be utilized in the dishwasher ofFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 5 is an alternative perspective view of the exemplary diverter valve ofFIG. 4 . -
FIG. 6 is a bottom perspective view of the exemplary diverter valve ofFIG. 4 with a portion of the housing removed for clarity. -
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the exemplary diverter valve with the valve body moved to fluidly couple an alternative plenum outlet. -
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a plenum outlet that can be utilized in the exemplary diverter valve ofFIG. 4 . - Referring to
FIG. 1 , anautomatic dishwasher 10 having acabinet 12 defining an interior is illustrated. Depending on whether thedishwasher 10 is a stand-alone or built-in, thecabinet 12 can be a chassis/frame with or without panels attached, respectively. Thedishwasher 10 shares many features of a conventional automatic dishwasher, which will not be described in detail herein except as necessary for a complete understanding of the invention. While the present invention is described in terms of a conventional dishwashing unit, it could also be implemented in other types of dishwashing units, such as in-sink dishwashers, multi-tub dishwashers, or drawer-type dishwashers. - The
cabinet 12 encloses atub 14 at least partially defining a treatingchamber 16 for holding dishes for washing according to a cycle of operation and defining an access opening 17. Thetub 14 has spaced top andbottom walls sidewalls 22, afront wall 24, and arear wall 26. In this configuration, thewalls chamber 16 for treating or washing dishes. Thebottom wall 20 may have a front lip 28 (FIG. 2 ) with anupper portion 30 that may define a portion of the access opening 17. Thefront wall 24 may be at least partially defined by adoor 32 of thedishwasher 10, which may be pivotally attached to thedishwasher 10 for providing accessibility to the treatingchamber 16 through the access opening 17 for loading and unloading dishes or other washable items. More specifically, thedoor 32 may be configured to selectively open and close the access opening 17. Dish holders in the form of upper andlower dish racks chamber 16 and receive dishes for washing. The upper andlower racks chamber 16 for ease of loading and unloading. As used in this description, the term “dish(es)” is intended to be generic to any item, single or plural, that may be treated in thedishwasher 10, including, without limitation; utensils, plates, pots, bowls, pans, glassware, and silverware. While not shown, additional utensil holders, such as a silverware basket on the interior of thedoor 32 or on asidewall 22, can also be provided. - Referring to
FIG. 2 , the major systems of thedishwasher 10 and their interrelationship may be seen. For example, aliquid recirculation system 38 is provided for spraying liquid within the treatingchamber 16 to treat any dishes located therein. Theliquid recirculation system 38 may include one or more sprayers configured to emit a corresponding spray of liquid into the treatingchamber 16. In the exemplary illustration, there are six sprayers: a firstlower spray assembly 40, a secondlower spray assembly 42, a thirdlower spray assembly 44, a firstmid-level spray assembly 46, a secondmid-level spray assembly 48, and anupper spray assembly 50. While six sprayers have been illustrated it will be understood that any number of sprayers can be included in the dishwasher. - The first
lower spray assembly 40 is positioned above thebottom wall 20 and beneath thelower dish rack 36. The firstlower spray assembly 40 is an arm configured to rotate in thewash tub 14 and spray a flow of liquid from a plurality of spray nozzles or outlets, in a primarily upward direction, over a portion of the interior of thewash tub 14. A first wash zone may be defined by the spray field emitted by the firstlower spray assembly 40 into the treatingchamber 16. The spray from the firstlower spray assembly 40 is sprayed into thewash tub 14 in typically upward fashion to wash dishes located in thelower dish rack 36. The firstlower spray assembly 40 may optionally also provide a liquid spray downwardly onto a lower portion of the treatingchamber 16, but for purposes of simplification, this will not be illustrated or described herein. - The second
lower spray assembly 42 is illustrated as being located adjacent thelower rack 36 toward the rear of the treatingchamber 16. The secondlower spray assembly 42 is illustrated as including a horizontally oriented distribution header or spray manifold having a plurality of nozzles. The secondlower spray assembly 42 may not be limited to this position; rather, the secondlower spray assembly 42 could be located in virtually any part of the treatingchamber 16. Alternatively, the secondlower spray assembly 42 could be positioned underneath thelower rack 36, adjacent or beneath the firstlower spray assembly 40. Such a spray manifold is set forth in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 7,594,513, issued Sep. 29, 2009, and titled “Multiple Wash Zone Dishwasher,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The secondlower spray assembly 42 may be configured to spray a flow of treating liquid in a generally lateral direction, over a portion of the interior of the treatingchamber 16. The spray may be typically directed to treat dishes located in thelower rack 36. A second wash zone may be defined by the spray field emitted by the secondlower spray assembly 42 into the treatingchamber 16. When both the firstlower spray assembly 40 and the secondlower spray assembly 42 emit spray fields the first and second zones may intersect. - The third
lower spray assembly 44 can be similar to the secondlower spray assembly 42 and has been illustrated as being located on asidewall 22. The third lower spray assembly can be configured to spray a flow of treating liquid in an angled direction, over a portion of the interior of the treatingchamber 16 including a portion of thelower rack 36. Again, the third lower spray assembly can be located in virtually any part of the treating chamber, can be shaped in any suitable manner, and its spray may be directed in any suitable direction. - The first
mid-level spray assembly 46 has been illustrated similarly to the thirdlower spray assembly 44; however, it has been illustrated as being higher on thesidewall 22 such that it can emit a spray of liquid onto theupper dish rack 34. The firstmid-level spray assembly 46 can be located in virtually any part of the treating chamber, can be shaped in any suitable manner, and its spray may be directed in any suitable direction. - The second mid-level
spray arm assembly 48 is positioned between theupper dish rack 34 and thelower dish rack 36. Like the firstlower spray assembly 40, themid-level spray assembly 48 may also be configured to rotate in thedishwasher 10 and spray a flow of liquid in a generally upward direction, over a portion of the interior of thewash tub 14. In this case, the spray from the second mid-levelspray arm assembly 48 is directed to dishes in theupper dish rack 34 to define a third spray zone. In contrast, the upperspray arm assembly 50 is positioned above theupper dish rack 34 and generally directs a spray of liquid in a generally downward direction to define a fourth spray zone that helps wash dishes on both upper andlower dish racks - A
sump 52 andpump assembly 53 can be included in theliquid recirculation system 38. Thesump 52 collects the liquid sprayed in the treatingchamber 16 and can be formed by a sloped or recessed portion of abottom wall 20 of thetub 14. Thepump assembly 53 can include both a wash orrecirculation pump 54 and adrain pump 56. Thedrain pump 56 can draw liquid from thesump 52 through adrain inlet 55 and pump the liquid out of thedishwasher 10 to ahousehold drain line 57. Therecirculation pump 54 can draw liquid from thesump 52 and pump the liquid to the one or more of the spray assemblies 40-50 to supply liquid into the treatingchamber 16. While thepump assembly 53 is illustrated as having separate drain and recirculation pumps 54 and 56 in an alternative embodiment, thepump assembly 53 can include a single pump configured to selectively supply wash liquid to either the spray assemblies 40-50 or thedrain line 57, such as by configuring the pump to rotate in opposite directions, or by providing a suitable valve system. While not shown, a liquid supply system can include a water supply conduit coupled with a household water supply for supplying water to thesump 52. - As shown herein, the
recirculation pump 54 has apump inlet 58 fluidly coupled to the treatingchamber 16 via thesump 52 and apump outlet 60 in fluid communication with adiverter valve 62. A number ofliquid conduits diverter valve 62 to the spray assemblies 40-50, respectively. In this manner, thepump outlet 60 is fluidly coupled to the spray assemblies 40-50 for discharging wash liquid from therecirculation pump 54 to the spray assemblies 40-50. As illustrated, liquid can be supplied to the spray assemblies 42-50 throughliquid conduits recirculation pump 54 and upwardly along a rear wall of thetub 14. Liquid can be supplied to thespray assembly 40 through theliquid conduit 64. - The
diverter valve 62 can control the flow of liquid within thedishwasher 10. While thediverter valve 62 has been illustrated as being located in the middle of thetub 14 it will be understood that thediverter valve 62 can be located in any suitable location. By way of further non-limiting example, thediverter valve 62 as described herein has a low profile, which allows for it to be located at the rear of thetub 14. - Liquid may be selectively supplied to a subset of all of the sprayers, including to only a singer sprayer, and/or simultaneously to all of the sprayers. The
sump 52,recirculation pump 54, spray assemblies 40-50, and liquid conduits 64-74 collectively form a recirculation flow path in theliquid recirculation system 38. It will be understood that the recirculation flow path includes multiple recirculation circuits, with each circuit coupled to at least one of the sprayers forming the spray assemblies 40-50. Therecirculation pump 54 may be fluidly coupled to one or more of the circuits such that it draws liquid in through thepump inlet 58 andsump 52 and delivers it to one or more of the spray assemblies 40-50 through the liquid conduits 64-74 depending on the operation of thediverter valve 62. The liquid is sprayed back into the treatingchamber 16 through the spray assemblies 40-50 and drains back to thesump 52 where the process may be repeated. - A heating system having a
heater 78 can be located within or near thesump 52 for heating liquid contained in thesump 52. A filtering system (not shown) can be fluidly coupled with the recirculation flow path for filtering the recirculated liquid. - A control panel or
user interface 80 provided on thedishwasher 10 and coupled to acontroller 82 may be used to select a cycle of operation. Theuser interface 80 may be provided on thecabinet 12 or on the outer panel of thedoor 32 and can include operational controls such as dials, lights, switches, and displays enabling a user to input commands to thecontroller 82 and receive information about the selected cycle of operation. Thedishwasher 10 may further include other conventional components such as additional valves, a dispensing system for dispensing treating chemistries or rinse aids, spray arms or nozzles, etc.; however, these components are not germane to the present invention and will not be described further herein. - As illustrated in
FIG. 3 , thecontroller 82 may be provided with amemory 84 and a central processing unit (CPU) 86. Thememory 84 may be used for storing control software that may be executed by theCPU 86 in completing a cycle of operation using thedishwasher 10 and any additional software. For example, thememory 84 may store one or more pre-programmed cycles of operation that may be selected by a user and completed by thedishwasher 10. Thecontroller 82 may be operably coupled with one or more components of thedishwasher 10 for communicating with and controlling the operation of the components to complete a cycle of operation. For example, thecontroller 82 may be coupled with therecirculation pump 54 and thediverter valve 62 for circulation of liquid in thewash tub 14 and thedrain pump 56 for drainage of liquid in thewash tub 14. Further, thecontroller 82 may also be coupled with one ormore temperature sensors 88, which are known in the art and not shown for simplicity, such that thecontroller 82 may control the duration of the steps of the cycle of operation based upon the temperature detected. Thecontroller 82 may also receive inputs from one or more other optional sensor, which are known in the art and not shown for simplicity. Thecontroller 82 may also be coupled to adispenser 90, which may dispense a detergent during the wash step of the cycle of operation or a rinse aid during the rinse step of the cycle of operation. -
FIG. 4 illustrates an example of adiverter valve 62 having ahousing 100 defining aplenum 101 and having aplenum inlet 102 and a plurality of plenum outputs 104. Theplenum inlet 102 can be fluidly coupled to thepump outlet 60 of therecirculation pump 54, which has been schematically illustrated as anarrow 60. Each of theplenum outlets 104 fluidly couples to theliquid conduits liquid conduit 64 has been illustrated on one side of thehousing 100 and the other liquid conduits 66-74 have been illustrated on another side as better illustrated inFIG. 5 , it will be understood that thehousing 100,plenum inlet 102, andplenum outlets 104 can be arranged in any suitable manner. It is contemplated that the number ofplenum outlets 104 can correspond to the number of spray assemblies 40-50. Alternatively, the plenum outlet(s) 104 can be fluidly coupled to a liquid circuit that can lead to more than one spray assembly and has additional conduits and valving to control the flow thereto. - A valve body in the form of a
membrane strip 110 can be located within theplenum 101 and have at least onecontrol opening 112. Themembrane strip 110 can abut portions of thehousing 100 to form a liquid seal between theplenum outlets 104 and the remainder of theplenum 101. More specifically, themembrane strip 110 can abut an interior surface 114 (FIG. 7 ) of thehousing 100. Themembrane strip 110 is movable in theplenum 101 for movement along a path overlying the plurality ofplenum outlets 104 such that themembrane strip 110 can be operable to selectively fluidly couple one of the plurality ofplenum outlets 104 to a remainder of theplenum 101 and liquid therein. Movement of themembrane strip 110 can align the control opening 112 with one of theplenum outlets 104 while blocking at least another of theplenum outlets 104. Themembrane strip 110 can be moveable to any number of positions such thatdifferent plenum outlets 104 can be fluidly coupled to theplenum 101. In this way, the different spray assemblies 40-50 may be selected to be fluidly coupled to therecirculation pump 54 with the movement of themembrane strip 110. - A
spool 120 is illustrated inFIG. 6 and can be configured to hold themembrane strip 110 in place and aid in driving themembrane strip 110. While not illustrated, themembrane strip 110 can be a segment that is wound or unwound about thespool 120 during movement of themembrane strip 110. The segment of themembrane strip 110 can be wound or unwound as needed such that movement of themembrane strip 110 aligns one ormore control openings 112 withselect plenum outlets 104. - It is contemplated that any number of spools can be included within the
diverter valve 62 to hold themembrane strip 110 in place and aid in driving themembrane strip 110. In the illustrated example, themembrane strip 110 includes a looped membrane strip formed from a continuous band. Themembrane strip 110 runs along theplenum outlets 104 and is held in place by a set ofspools spools plenum outlets 104 lie between the twospools continuous membrane strip 110 can have opposingends end corresponding spool - The
membrane strip 110 can be moveable utilizing any suitable driver or actuator. For example, one of the twospools membrane strip 110. A drive including, but not limited to, adrive motor 130 can be operably coupled to themembrane strip 110 to move themembrane strip 110 within theplenum 101. By way of non-limiting example, thedrive motor 130 has been illustrated as including anoutput shaft 132 that is operably coupled to thespool 120 to provide a driving force that turns themembrane strip 110. It is contemplated that thedrive motor 130 can be a reversible drive motor and can be operably coupled to thecontroller 82 or another suitable controller. Thecontroller 82 can control the operation of thedrive motor 130 such that themembrane strip 110 can be driven in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction. In this manner themotor 130 can move themembrane strip 110 between any number of positions to fluidly couple any of theplenum outlets 104. A sensor (not shown) can be included in thedishwasher 10 including, but not limited to, that the sensor can be coupled with thediverter valve 62 to determine whatplenum outlet 104 is fluidly coupled to therecirculation pump 54. Thus, if the position of the control opening 112 is somehow lost by thecontroller 82, thecontroller 82 can utilize the output from the sensor to determine the position of the control opening 112 and can control the movement of themembrane strip 110 based thereon. - The friction between the
spool 120 and themembrane strip 110 may not be substantial enough to ensure rotation of themembrane strip 110. Thus, asprocket 122 havingteeth 124 can be included on thespool 120. Themembrane strip 110 includesholes 126 that mesh with theteeth 124 of thesprocket 122 and the contact between theteeth 124 and theholes 126 aids in driving themembrane strip 110. - An
optional gear train 134 has been illustrated as operably coupling theoutput shaft 132 to thespool 120 such that rotation of theoutput shaft 132 moves thegear train 134, which in turn rotates the spool and moves themembrane strip 110 to any number of positions. Thegear train 134 can be formed in any suitable manner including, but not limited to, that thegear train 134 can be a speed increasing gear train where thesprocket 122 is driven faster than the rotation of theshaft 132. The gear ratios of thegear train 134 can be selected in any suitable manner to control the movement of themembrane strip 110 based on the rotation of theshaft 132. - In the illustrated example, the
membrane strip 110 has a control opening 112 in it that is aligned such that one of the bank ofplenum outlets 104 is fluidly coupled at a time, such that liquid is provided to one of the spray assemblies 40-50 at a time. Illustrated in phantom are additionalmultiple control openings 112. The use of additionalmultiple control openings 112, includingcontrol openings 112 spaced closely together can allow multiple spray assemblies 40-50 to be fluidly coupled to therecirculation pump 54 simultaneously. Alternatively, the use ofmultiple control openings 112 can be utilized to vary the sequencing of the fluidly coupled spray assemblies 40-50 depending on the location of thecontrol openings 112 and theplenum outlets 104 in thehousing 100. It is also contemplated that themembrane strip 110 can include various sets ofcontrol openings 112 and the various sets ofcontrol openings 112 can define different liquid diversion or spray configurations or can be utilized for the same diversion configurations but allow for them to cycle through the path more frequently. - In this manner it will be understood that the
membrane strip 110 can have different sets of openings for different functionalities or different phases of the wash cycle. By way of non-limiting example, a different set ofcontrol openings 112 could be provided for each selectable wash cycle, phase, or option. For example, a set ofcontrol openings 112 that are only supplied to the upper rack sprayers can be included for when a user selects an option to only wash in theupper rack 34. In this manner, a user can pick a zone or rack for washing and only those zones or rack would be sprayed. Alternatively, if a concentrated wash was selected, during one part of the cycle the secondlower spray assembly 42 could be solely supplied to clean the dishes in thelower rack 36. -
FIG. 8 illustrates that anoptional sealing ring 150 can be provided along theinterior surface 114 of thehousing 100, with the sealingring 150 surrounding theplenum outlet 104. A sealingring 150 can be provided around each of theplenum outlets 104. The sealingring 150 can be a raised ring surrounding theplenum outlet 104 and can take any suitable form including that of an O-ring or other seal. Further, the sealingring 150 can merely be a rib formed on aninterior surface 114 of thehousing 100. In essence, the sealingring 150 forms a peripheral ridge, which spaces themembrane strip 110 from a remainder of theinterior surface 114 to reduce friction. Themembrane strip 110 can be capable of sealing against theinterior surface 114 of thehousing 100 and/or the sealing ring(s) 150 to better seal theplenum outlets 104 against the unintended flow of liquid from the remainder of theplenum 101. Thus, theplenum outlets 104 can be sealed such that liquid does not leak from theplenum 101 to theplenum outlets 104 that are not intentionally being fluidly coupled with theplenum 101. Sealing challenges can occur for various reasons including because the surface forming theinterior surface 114 of thehousing 100 is too rough or uneven. The sealing ring(s) 150 provide a smaller sealing surface for themembrane strip 110 allowing a greater force to be applied to those points, which allows for a better seal. Themembrane strip 110 can be formed from any suitable material including, but not limited to, a mylar membrane. It is contemplated that themembrane strip 110 can be flexible and such flex can allow themembrane strip 110 to form around the sealingring 150 and provide a robust seal. - Such a
sealing ring 150 can also allow the control opening 112 to fluidly couple with theplenum outlet 104 so long as the control opening 112 is at least partially within the sealingring 150. In this manner, the sealingring 150 creates a larger effective outlet and allows for a longer fluid communication between theplenum outlet 104 having the sealingring 150 and the control opening 112 in themembrane strip 110. Such sealing rings are set forth in detail in application Ser. No. 13/570,511, filed Aug. 9, 2012, and titled “Dishwasher with Spray System,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. - The operation of the
dishwasher 10 with thediverter valve 62 as illustrated will now be described. The user will initially select a cycle of operation via theuser interface 80, with the cycle of operation being implemented by thecontroller 82 controlling various components of thedishwasher 10 to implement the selected cycle of operation in the treatingchamber 16. Examples of cycles of operation include normal, light/china, heavy/pots and pans, and rinse only. The cycles of operation can include one or more of the following phases: a wash phase, a rinse phase, and a drying phase. The wash phase can further include a pre-wash phase and a main wash phase. The rinse phase can also include multiple phases such as one or more additional rinsing phases performed in addition to a first rinsing. During such cycles, wash fluid, such as water and/or treating chemistry (i.e., water and/or detergents, enzymes, surfactants, and other cleaning or conditioning chemistry) passes from therecirculation pump 54 into theliquid recirculation system 38 and then exits through the spray assemblies 40-50. - During the cycle of operation the
recirculation pump 54 can be operated to recirculate liquid to one or more of the spray assemblies 40-50. To fluidly couple the one or more of the spray assemblies 40-50 with the output of therecirculation pump 54, themembrane strip 110 can be selectively moved so as to selectively align the control opening(s) 112 with one or more ofplenum outlets 104 to selectively enable liquid flow from theplenum 101 through the one ormore plenum outlets 104 to control a flow of liquid from therecirculation pump 54 to the one of the spray assemblies 40-50.FIG. 6 illustrates themembrane strip 110 having the control opening 112 in a position where therecirculation pump 54 via thediverter valve 62 is fluidly coupled with aplenum outlet 104, which leads to theliquid conduit 64. A flow of fluid is schematically illustrated witharrows 142. Fluid enters theplenum inlet 102 from thepump outlet 60 and flows into theplenum 101. The fluid then flows through the control opening 112 and out theplenum outlet 104. In this manner, the output from therecirculation pump 54 is fluidly coupled to the firstlower spray assembly 40 via thediverter valve 62. - The
drive motor 130 can then be operated, including via thecontroller 82, to provide a driving force that turns thesprocket 122 and causes movement of themembrane strip 110 and the control opening 112 to a different position so that a different spray assembly can be fluidly coupled with therecirculation pump 54. By way of further non-limiting example,FIG. 7 illustrates the control opening 112 moved to fluidly couple with analternative plenum outlet 104. More specifically, the control opening 112 is illustrated as fluidly coupling to theplenum outlet 104 that is fluidly coupled with theliquid conduit 66. A flow of fluid is schematically illustrated witharrows 148. Fluid enters theplenum inlet 102 from thepump outlet 60 and flows into theplenum 101. The fluid then flows through the control opening 112 and out theplenum outlet 104. In this manner, the output from therecirculation pump 54 is fluidly coupled to the secondlower spray assembly 42 via thediverter valve 62. - The above-described embodiments provide a variety of benefits including that a diverter valve can be utilized to fluidly couple a pump outlet to any number of spray assemblies while fluidly sealing off other spray assemblies. Unlike current diverter valves the above-described embodiments are easy to control, allow for a large number of fluidly couplings, properly seal off other outlets, and have less flow restrictions and bends. The above-described diverter valve embodiments also utilize space efficiently and are low profile and thus can be placed in various places including at the back of the tub, which can eliminate multiple elbows the fluid must pass through and significantly decreases head.
- To the extent not already described, the different features and structures of the various embodiments can be used in combination with each other as desired. That one feature cannot be illustrated in all of the embodiments is not meant to be construed that it cannot be, but is done for brevity of description. Thus, the various features of the different embodiments can be mixed and matched as desired to form new embodiments, whether or not the new embodiments are expressly described. All combinations or permutations of features described herein are covered by this disclosure. Further, while the invention has been specifically described in connection with certain specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that this is by way of illustration and not of limitation.
- The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and can include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. It will be understood that any features of the above-described embodiments can be combined in any manner. Reasonable variation and modification are possible within the scope of the forgoing disclosure and drawings without departing from the spirit of the invention, which is defined in the appended claims.
Claims (20)
1. A dishwasher for treating dishes according to an automatic cycle of operation, comprising:
a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber;
at least one sprayer configured to emit a corresponding spray of liquid into the treating chamber;
at least one liquid circuit supplying liquid to the at least one sprayer;
a pump having a pump inlet fluidly coupled to the treating chamber and a pump outlet; and
a diverter valve having a plenum with a plenum inlet coupled to the pump outlet, at least one plenum outlet fluidly coupled to the at least one liquid circuit, and a membrane strip located within the plenum and having at least one control opening; and
wherein the membrane strip is movable in the plenum for movement along a path overlying the at least one plenum outlet such that the membrane strip can be selectively moved so as to selectively align the control opening with the at least one plenum outlet to selectively enable liquid flow from the plenum inlet through the at least one plenum outlet to control a flow of liquid from the pump to the at least one sprayer.
2. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein there are multiple sprayers, with corresponding liquid circuits, and corresponding plenum outlets, wherein movement of the membrane strip aligns the control opening with at least one of the plenum outlets while blocking at least another of the plenum outlets.
3. The dishwasher of claim 2 wherein there are multiple control openings, wherein movement of the membrane strip aligns the multiple control openings with different plenum outlets while blocking at least another of the plenum outlets.
4. The dishwasher of claim 3 wherein the membrane strip comprises sets of control openings.
5. The dishwasher of claim 4 wherein the sets of control openings define different spray configurations.
6. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the diverter valve further comprises at least one spool about which the membrane strip is wound or unwound during movement of the membrane strip.
7. The dishwasher of claim 6 wherein the at least one spool comprises a sprocket and the membrane strip comprises holes that receive the sprocket.
8. The dishwasher of claim 6 , further comprising a drive motor having an output shaft operably coupled to the at least one spool.
9. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the diverter valve further comprises at least two spools, with the membrane strip being continuous and having opposing ends and each end supported about a corresponding one of the at least two spools.
10. The dishwasher of claim 9 wherein the at least two spools are spaced from each other.
11. The dishwasher of claim 10 wherein at least one of the plenum outlets lies between the two spools.
12. The dishwasher of claim 11 wherein more than one of the plenum outlets lies between the two spools.
13. A diverter valve comprising:
a housing defining a plenum with a plenum inlet, at least one plenum outlet, and a membrane strip located within the plenum and having at least one control opening; and
a drive operably coupled to the membrane strip to move the membrane strip within the plenum along a path overlying the at least one plenum outlet such that the membrane strip can be selectively moved so as to selectively align the control opening with the at least one plenum outlet to selectively enable liquid flow from the plenum inlet through the at least one plenum outlet to control a flow of liquid through the housing.
14. The diverter valve of claim 13 wherein there are multiple plenum outlets, wherein movement of the membrane strip aligns the control opening with at least one of the plenum outlets while blocking at least another of the plenum outlets.
15. The diverter valve of claim 14 wherein there are multiple control openings, wherein movement of the membrane strip aligns some of the multiple control openings with different plenum outlets while blocking at least another of the plenum outlets.
16. The diverter valve of claim 15 wherein the membrane strip comprises sets of control openings.
17. The diverter valve of claim 16 wherein the sets of control openings define different liquid diversion configurations.
18. The diverter valve of claim 13 , further comprising at least one spool about which the membrane strip is wound or unwound during movement of the membrane strip.
19. The diverter valve of claim 18 wherein the at least one spool comprises a sprocket and the membrane strip comprises holes that receive the sprocket.
20. The diverter valve of claim 13 wherein the diverter valve further comprises at least two spools, with the membrane strip being continuous and wrapped around the two spools, the at least two spools are spaced from each other and multiple plenum outlets lay between the two spools.
Priority Applications (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US14/818,667 US10010234B2 (en) | 2015-08-05 | 2015-08-05 | Diverter valve and dishwasher with diverter valve |
US15/935,610 US10314460B2 (en) | 2015-08-05 | 2018-03-26 | Diverter valve and dishwasher with diverter valve |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US14/818,667 US10010234B2 (en) | 2015-08-05 | 2015-08-05 | Diverter valve and dishwasher with diverter valve |
Related Child Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US15/935,610 Division US10314460B2 (en) | 2015-08-05 | 2018-03-26 | Diverter valve and dishwasher with diverter valve |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20170035265A1 true US20170035265A1 (en) | 2017-02-09 |
US10010234B2 US10010234B2 (en) | 2018-07-03 |
Family
ID=58053845
Family Applications (2)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US14/818,667 Active 2036-04-30 US10010234B2 (en) | 2015-08-05 | 2015-08-05 | Diverter valve and dishwasher with diverter valve |
US15/935,610 Active US10314460B2 (en) | 2015-08-05 | 2018-03-26 | Diverter valve and dishwasher with diverter valve |
Family Applications After (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US15/935,610 Active US10314460B2 (en) | 2015-08-05 | 2018-03-26 | Diverter valve and dishwasher with diverter valve |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (2) | US10010234B2 (en) |
Families Citing this family (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN109567705B (en) * | 2018-12-24 | 2021-04-13 | 佛山市顺德区美的洗涤电器制造有限公司 | Fan device of water tank type dish washing machine and water tank type dish washing machine with fan device |
Citations (23)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20030168087A1 (en) * | 2000-02-14 | 2003-09-11 | Hiroaki Inui | Washing machine |
US20040173249A1 (en) * | 2001-07-07 | 2004-09-09 | Walter Assmann | Dishwasher comprising spraying arms and a circulating pump |
US20040226586A1 (en) * | 2001-12-21 | 2004-11-18 | Bsh Bosch Und Siemens Hausgerate Gmbh | Movement reversal device, particularly for a dishwasher |
US20060054198A1 (en) * | 2004-09-16 | 2006-03-16 | Lg Electronics Inc. | Dishwasher and control method thereof |
US20090159103A1 (en) * | 2007-12-19 | 2009-06-25 | Whirlpool Corporation | Dishwasher with sequencing corner nozzles |
US7614408B2 (en) * | 2003-07-31 | 2009-11-10 | Lg Electronics Inc. | Apparatus for controlling washing flow of dishwasher |
US20100078049A1 (en) * | 2007-02-13 | 2010-04-01 | Miele & Cie. Kg | Dishwasher machine comprising a water point on the pump pressure side |
US20100236588A1 (en) * | 2007-11-28 | 2010-09-23 | BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH | Water-bearing domestic appliance with a water diverter |
US20110088733A1 (en) * | 2008-03-28 | 2011-04-21 | Bsh Bosch Und Siemens Hausgerate Gmbh | Water-bearing domestic appliance |
US20110114139A1 (en) * | 2007-11-27 | 2011-05-19 | BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH | Water-bearing domestic appliance with a water diverter |
US20120048313A1 (en) * | 2011-01-07 | 2012-03-01 | General Electric Company | Water diverter valve and related dishwasher |
US20120266924A1 (en) * | 2011-04-25 | 2012-10-25 | General Electric Company | Water diverter valve and related dishwasher |
US20130000762A1 (en) * | 2011-06-28 | 2013-01-03 | General Electric Company | Fluid flow diverter for a dishwasher appliance |
US20130319482A1 (en) * | 2012-06-01 | 2013-12-05 | Whirlpool Corporation | Heating air for drying dishes in a dishwasher using an in-line wash liquid heater |
US20140069462A1 (en) * | 2012-09-13 | 2014-03-13 | Whirlpool Corporation | Dishwasher with controlled rotation of lower spray arm |
US20140238447A1 (en) * | 2013-02-27 | 2014-08-28 | General Electric Company | Fine filtration for a dishwasher appliance using powered diverter |
US20140246059A1 (en) * | 2013-03-01 | 2014-09-04 | Whirlpool Corporation | Dishwasher with hydraulically driven sprayer |
US20140261560A1 (en) * | 2013-03-13 | 2014-09-18 | Whirlpool Corporation | Dishwasher with variable flow rate valve |
US8915257B2 (en) * | 2007-11-27 | 2014-12-23 | Bsh Bosch Und Siemens Hausgeraete Gmbh | Water-carrying domestic appliance having a water-distribution mechanism |
US20140373876A1 (en) * | 2013-06-21 | 2014-12-25 | Whirlpool Corporation | Dishwasher |
US20150101644A1 (en) * | 2013-10-10 | 2015-04-16 | General Electric Company | Indexing passive diverter for an appliance |
US9737191B2 (en) * | 2015-09-10 | 2017-08-22 | Haier Us Appliance Solutions, Inc. | Variable position diverter for an appliance |
US9743822B2 (en) * | 2015-09-10 | 2017-08-29 | Haier Us Appliance Solutions, Inc. | Variable position diverter for an appliance |
Family Cites Families (10)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2349368A (en) * | 1941-08-16 | 1944-05-23 | Charles L Myers | Damper construction |
US3828816A (en) * | 1972-01-17 | 1974-08-13 | Barnebey Cheney Co | Fluid flow control valves |
US3773077A (en) * | 1972-01-17 | 1973-11-20 | Barnebey Cheney Co | Fluid flow control valves |
US3815630A (en) * | 1972-01-17 | 1974-06-11 | H Barnebey | Fluid flow control valves |
US4493476A (en) * | 1982-09-28 | 1985-01-15 | Strickland Reid A | Slide valve for controlling fluid flow |
US5566736A (en) * | 1995-11-13 | 1996-10-22 | Crider; Grant W. | Sealable curtain |
US20020098000A1 (en) * | 2000-09-12 | 2002-07-25 | Ivan Lau | Film cassette engagement and disengagement |
US7445013B2 (en) | 2003-06-17 | 2008-11-04 | Whirlpool Corporation | Multiple wash zone dishwasher |
DE502006008496D1 (en) | 2006-01-12 | 2011-01-27 | V Zug Ag | Household appliance with water leading switching device |
US9386903B2 (en) * | 2011-09-22 | 2016-07-12 | Whirlpool Corporation | Dishwasher with spray system |
-
2015
- 2015-08-05 US US14/818,667 patent/US10010234B2/en active Active
-
2018
- 2018-03-26 US US15/935,610 patent/US10314460B2/en active Active
Patent Citations (24)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20030168087A1 (en) * | 2000-02-14 | 2003-09-11 | Hiroaki Inui | Washing machine |
US7270132B2 (en) * | 2000-02-14 | 2007-09-18 | Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. | Washer |
US20040173249A1 (en) * | 2001-07-07 | 2004-09-09 | Walter Assmann | Dishwasher comprising spraying arms and a circulating pump |
US20040226586A1 (en) * | 2001-12-21 | 2004-11-18 | Bsh Bosch Und Siemens Hausgerate Gmbh | Movement reversal device, particularly for a dishwasher |
US7614408B2 (en) * | 2003-07-31 | 2009-11-10 | Lg Electronics Inc. | Apparatus for controlling washing flow of dishwasher |
US20060054198A1 (en) * | 2004-09-16 | 2006-03-16 | Lg Electronics Inc. | Dishwasher and control method thereof |
US20100078049A1 (en) * | 2007-02-13 | 2010-04-01 | Miele & Cie. Kg | Dishwasher machine comprising a water point on the pump pressure side |
US20110114139A1 (en) * | 2007-11-27 | 2011-05-19 | BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH | Water-bearing domestic appliance with a water diverter |
US8915257B2 (en) * | 2007-11-27 | 2014-12-23 | Bsh Bosch Und Siemens Hausgeraete Gmbh | Water-carrying domestic appliance having a water-distribution mechanism |
US20100236588A1 (en) * | 2007-11-28 | 2010-09-23 | BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH | Water-bearing domestic appliance with a water diverter |
US20090159103A1 (en) * | 2007-12-19 | 2009-06-25 | Whirlpool Corporation | Dishwasher with sequencing corner nozzles |
US20110088733A1 (en) * | 2008-03-28 | 2011-04-21 | Bsh Bosch Und Siemens Hausgerate Gmbh | Water-bearing domestic appliance |
US20120048313A1 (en) * | 2011-01-07 | 2012-03-01 | General Electric Company | Water diverter valve and related dishwasher |
US20120266924A1 (en) * | 2011-04-25 | 2012-10-25 | General Electric Company | Water diverter valve and related dishwasher |
US20130000762A1 (en) * | 2011-06-28 | 2013-01-03 | General Electric Company | Fluid flow diverter for a dishwasher appliance |
US20130319482A1 (en) * | 2012-06-01 | 2013-12-05 | Whirlpool Corporation | Heating air for drying dishes in a dishwasher using an in-line wash liquid heater |
US20140069462A1 (en) * | 2012-09-13 | 2014-03-13 | Whirlpool Corporation | Dishwasher with controlled rotation of lower spray arm |
US20140238447A1 (en) * | 2013-02-27 | 2014-08-28 | General Electric Company | Fine filtration for a dishwasher appliance using powered diverter |
US20140246059A1 (en) * | 2013-03-01 | 2014-09-04 | Whirlpool Corporation | Dishwasher with hydraulically driven sprayer |
US20140261560A1 (en) * | 2013-03-13 | 2014-09-18 | Whirlpool Corporation | Dishwasher with variable flow rate valve |
US20140373876A1 (en) * | 2013-06-21 | 2014-12-25 | Whirlpool Corporation | Dishwasher |
US20150101644A1 (en) * | 2013-10-10 | 2015-04-16 | General Electric Company | Indexing passive diverter for an appliance |
US9737191B2 (en) * | 2015-09-10 | 2017-08-22 | Haier Us Appliance Solutions, Inc. | Variable position diverter for an appliance |
US9743822B2 (en) * | 2015-09-10 | 2017-08-29 | Haier Us Appliance Solutions, Inc. | Variable position diverter for an appliance |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
US10010234B2 (en) | 2018-07-03 |
US10314460B2 (en) | 2019-06-11 |
US20180206697A1 (en) | 2018-07-26 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US10052010B2 (en) | Dishwasher with sprayer | |
US9655496B2 (en) | Dishwasher with sprayer | |
US9451862B2 (en) | Dishwasher with unitary wash module | |
US8113222B2 (en) | Dishwasher with driven spray arm for upper rack | |
US10398283B2 (en) | Dishwasher with sprayer | |
US10667668B2 (en) | Dishwasher with rotationally mounted sprayer | |
US9833120B2 (en) | Heating air for drying dishes in a dishwasher using an in-line wash liquid heater | |
US10076225B2 (en) | Dishwasher with sprayer | |
US9295368B2 (en) | Dishwasher with hydraulically driven sprayer | |
US20120279536A1 (en) | Dishwasher spray arm with diverting valve | |
US10307035B2 (en) | Dish treating appliance with leak detection | |
US20140137909A1 (en) | Dishwasher with sprayer | |
US9713414B2 (en) | Dishwasher having a conduit framework | |
US10694919B2 (en) | Dish treating appliance with diverter valve position sensing | |
US10154772B2 (en) | Spray arm for a dish treating appliance | |
US10314460B2 (en) | Diverter valve and dishwasher with diverter valve |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION, MICHIGAN Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:LUCIANO, JUAN I.;RAPPETTE, ANTONY M.;SIGNING DATES FROM 20150624 TO 20150804;REEL/FRAME:036257/0553 |
|
STCF | Information on status: patent grant |
Free format text: PATENTED CASE |
|
MAFP | Maintenance fee payment |
Free format text: PAYMENT OF MAINTENANCE FEE, 4TH YEAR, LARGE ENTITY (ORIGINAL EVENT CODE: M1551); ENTITY STATUS OF PATENT OWNER: LARGE ENTITY Year of fee payment: 4 |